Tastebud Travel: Trying Indian Food

What’s #FoodieFriday without a sweet recipe? A very sad Friday if it weren’t for my most recent indulgence!

A Small Disclaimer: I’m a very picky eater–no matter where or with any cuisine–whose diet mainly consists of pasta, cheese, beef, and chicken.

I’m not normally one to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to food, but recently i’ve found myself craving new food combinations–even ones i’ve never even tried before. When my Anthropology class assignment literally told me to eat at an authentic, new restaurant and “BE ADVENTUROUS”, I knew I had to go past my Chinese take-out favorites. I would love to travel to India one day, even if I don’t necessarily get the guts to do that amazing looking Rickshaw Run, so yesterday I combined my school work with my personal curiosity of the country’s cuisine.

Main Course

My mom, who had never had Indian food either, came with me to try something new for herself (and because she’s the best). Kama Bistro in La Grange (IL) was a good starter restaurant because it considers its menu full of “contemporary” Indian cuisine with influences from other cultures. We told the waiter about our lack of experience with Indian food, so she was very kind with explaining things and giving suggestions.That and some of my previous research–because this was magically an assignment at the end of the day–led us to this:

Of course we could not skip dessert, no matter how full we were. I think we went with the most American option, that beautiful Bitter Chocolate Delight beauty to the right, but it was also the only option without nuts–and my oral allergy syndrome would not appreciate any of those.

I found some of the tastes familiar, probably because of one of the spices that I could not quiet put my finger on. I liked the kick of spice that some of the dishes just barely had, because I can barely handle mild buffalo sauce on a good day. I’m not really sure what I was expecting, but I’m glad the flavors were not too overwhelming. I was not blown away, but I enjoyed my meal.

Final Thoughts: I would gladly go grab Indian food if any of my friends had a craving, but don’t wait on me to be the one to suggest it first! To be honest, my favorite part was the naan bread with the Chicken Tikka Masala coming as a close second.

What is everyone’s experience with Indian food? Should I have tried something else on the menu? Any other picky eaters out there hesitant to try new foods? 🙋